Vegetarian Freezer Meals for New Moms

Vegetarian Freezer Meals for New Moms including nourishing breakfasts, lunches you can eat one-handed, easy dinner ideas, and snacks!

If we’ve known each other for a while you probably know that I’m all about the freezer meals. I love batch cooking prepping and stashing individual servings of healthy dishes in the freezer so that I can get a break from time to time, or grab something to eat on a day when I don’t have time to cook.

When I was pregnant with Niko, I worked furiously to fill the freezer with what I thought would be the best possible meals and snacks for the time, and while many things were good, there were also some misses. For example, I found muffins and bars to be nothing short of essential for snacking on while nursing my tiny son, while the freezer burritos I’d stashed away turned out to be incredibly difficult to eat one-handed.

Don’t get me wrong, freezer burritos are still incredibly valuable for those meals when the baby is happily snoozing or rocking in the baby swing – that’s why they’re still on this list – and I definitely didn’t have the energy or time for a lot of cooking in those early days.

I’ve taken what I’ve learned from having done this before, and created this essential list of Vegetarian Freezer Meals for New Moms.

Breakfast Freezer Meals

If you’re making a bunch of freezer meals for new moms, definitely don’t forget about the most important meal of the day! If you’re meal prepping for a mom-to-be or someone else who suffers from IBS, be sure to check out our list of Low FODMAP Breakfast Recipes.

Vegan Banana Waffles

Trust me on this one, a big batch of waffles in the freezer is a beautiful thing. I love these for quick and easy weekday breakfasts. Simply reheat them in the toaster and eat them one-handed if that’s how your day is going.

Vegan Banana Waffles

Vegan Banana Waffles! This vegan waffle recipe is easy to make and super healthy. Made with whole wheat flour, brown bananas, and flax seeds, these are perfect to keep frozen and pop into the toaster on a busy morning.

Vegetarian Breakfast Burritos

Breakfast burritos are one of those beautiful all-in-one meals that pack in a bunch of protein, veggies, and complex carbs all at once. And the best news is that they freeze like a dream.

Vegetarian Breakfast Burritos

These easy Vegetarian Breakfast Burritos are a healthy, freezer-friendly option for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Made in one pan, loaded with veggies, scrambled eggs, and whole wheat tortillas, these are great for meal prep and make-ahead meals.

Vegetarian Breakfast Casserole

This Vegetarian Breakfast Casserole is hands down one of my favourite freezer meals. It makes a lot, is nice and filling, and most importantly, it’s delicious. Freeze squares wrapped in foil to re-heat on a busy day… you won’t regret it!

Vegetarian Breakfast Casserole with Swiss Chard and Gruyere

Swiss Chard and Gruyere Strata is a make-ahead vegetarian breakfast casserole that's perfect for feeding a crowd. Loaded with veggies, eggs, cheese, and crusty bread, this breakfast bake soaks overnight in your fridge and bakes up in the morning. Leftovers freeze like a dream, and this is also a fantastic packed lunch.

Instant Pot Sous Vide Egg Bites

You know those ridiculously over-priced sous vide egg bites from that major coffee shop chain? My friend Sarah has cracked the code for making them at home. And the best part? You can totally freeze them too.

Sous Vide Egg Bites

Learn how easy it is to make this awesome copycat Starbucks Instant Pot Egg Bites recipe. This recipe also teaches you how to make these Whole30 and paleo egg bites in the oven.

This simple Apple Granola Recipe will have your home smelling amazing while it bakes! A low sugar granola recipe sweetened with applesauce and maple syrup, this is a healthy make-ahead breakfast you'll be happy to munch on throughout the week.

Apple Berry Baked Oatmeal Cups

Did you know that not only can you bake your oatmeal, but you can freeze it too? True story. These Apple Berry Baked Oatmeal Cups from The Full Helping are the real deal, and you should totally add them to your arsenal of vegetarian freezer meals for breakfast.

Apple Berry Baked Oatmeal Cups

These baked oatmeal cups are totally vegan and are the perfect make-ahead breakfast food. Freezer-friendly and endlessly adaptable, they're great for breakfast or snacking.

Lunch Freezer Meals

I found lunch to be the trickiest meal of the day when I was at home with a newborn, since I often had another set of hands around breakfast or dinner, but at lunch time there was generally no one around to help.

Generally I think that lunch freezer meals and dinner freezer meals are pretty interchangeable, but single portions tend to come in particularly handy at lunch. I also prefer my lunches to be less drippy and more hand-held when possible, or at least things I could eat with a fork in one hand and a baby in the other.

If you’re planning ahead for your own freezer meals or are making a bunch of freezer meals for new moms, here’s what I found most useful for lunches.

Black Bean Freezer Burritos

Black Bean and Quinoa Freezer Burritos are one of the OG vegetarian freezer meals on HNL. They’re perfect for grab and go lunches, or to heat up on a busy day at home.

Black Bean and Quinoa Freezer Burritos

Black Bean and Quinoa Freezer Burritos! These make-ahead vegetarian burritos are super easy to make, loaded with beans and veggies, and are freezer-friendly. Perfect for healthy lunch on the go or planning for busy times.

Curried Cauliflower Chickpea Wraps

If you like samosas, you’ll love these Curried Cauliflower Chickpea Wraps. They’re easy to make, completely vegan, and are freezer-friendly to boot.

Curried Cauliflower Chickpea Wraps

These Curried Cauliflower Chickpea Wraps are a healthy, spicy make-ahead meal! Easily vegan and gluten-free, made with warming Indian spices, these wraps are freezer-friendly to boot!

Chipotle Black Bean Burgers

Keep a batch of homemade Chipotle Black Bean Burgers in your freezer, and you’ll be just moments away from tasty lunches anytime. Make a classic burger, or try a Veggie Burger in a Bowl for something different.

Chipotle Black Bean Burgers

Looking for an amazing vegan black bean burger recipe? This is it! These Chipotle Black Bean Burgers are super easy to make, packed with healthy ingredients, and are gluten-free. Full of protein and flavour, this is the only spicy black bean burger recipe you'll ever need!

Baked Vegetarian Quesadillas

These Vegetarian Quesadillas with pumpkin and black beans are perfect for freezer meals since they’re oven baked in a big batch. Just wrap them up in foil and toss in the freezer… your future self will thank you!

Vegetarian Quesadillas with Pumpkin and Black Beans

These Vegetarian Quesadillas with Pumpkin and Black Beans are easy, healthy, and delicious! You can make a big batch of these oven baked quesadillas at once, which is perfect for meal prep or if you’re feeding a crowd. They’re freezer friendly too, and you can mix up the veggies, leave out the cheese for vegan quesadillas, or customize them any other way you like.

Crispy Carrot and Cauliflower Fritters

I have a weakness for all things fritter, and these Crispy Carrot and Cauliflower Fritters from Green Plate Club are no exception. They’re freezer-friendly and kid-approved, so if you’ve got a newborn and a toddler they’re the perfect thing to have on hand.

Crispy Carrot and Cauliflower Fritters

These Crispy Carrot and Cauliflower Fritters are a favorite in our house. I’m always looking for quick dinners that I can keep on hand in the freezer and these fit the bill.

Dinner Freezer Meals

I think that dinner freezer meals for new moms aren’t all that different from dinner freezer meals for regular people. Generally there’s more hands on deck at dinner time, so I’m not afraid to call soups and curries and stew into action. Basically, if it freezes well, I’m going to throw it on this list.

Mung Bean and Coconut Curry

Not only is Mung Bean and Coconut Curry the most popular recipe on this site by a landslide, it’s also incredibly easy to make and freezes like a dream.

Mung Bean and Coconut Curry

Mung Bean and Coconut Curry! This easy vegan curry is packed with Indian flavours, coconut milk, cilantro, and lime. It's incredibly easy and can be made in the Instant Pot or on the stove top.

Kale Lasagna with Cottage Cheese

Lasagna has got to be hands down one of my favourite meals to keep in the freezer. I bake a big batch of this Kale Lasagna and wrap individual portions in foil. Perfect for quick and easy meals!

Kale Lasagna with Cottage Cheese

If you're looking for a hearty and delicious meatless lasagna recipe, Kale Lasagna is it! Made with a veggie-loaded tomato sauce, protein-packed cottage cheese, and no-boil noodles, this healthy recipe is easy to make and kid-friendly to boot. Perfect for a make-ahead meal but simple enough to pull together on a weeknight.

Red Lentil Dal

I think a good lentil dal is one of those back pocket recipes that everyone should have on hand. This Red Lentil Dal can be made in the slow cooker or the Instant Pot. I recommend doubling the batch and freezing it in single servings.

Red Lentil Dal

This easy Red Lentil Dal recipe is a homemade twist on the Indian classic. Completely vegan and naturally gluten-free, you can make Slow Cooker Lentil Dal or Instant Pot Dal to make weeknight cooking a breeze. Packed with warming spices and plant-based protein, it's a simple vegetarian recipe that's sure to go into regular rotation.

Vegetarian Ravioli Bake

This Vegetarian Ravioli Bake is one of my go-to weeknight dinners since it cooks up so quickly and is soooooo delicious. The best news? It’s a great vegetarian freezer meal, too!

Vegetarian Ravioli Bake

This Vegetarian Ravioli Bake is the quick, easy, and delicious 30-minute meal you've been waiting for. Made with fresh pasta and topped with lots of cheese, there's enough greens in there to make this ravioli casserole a healthy dinner. If you love lasagna but are looking for something faster, this is the dish for you.

Red Lentil Stew

This Red Lentil Stew packs in a ton of vegetables and plant-based protein, and it freezes like a dream. Pro tip: Red Lentil Stew can double as a protein-packed pasta sauce if you like!

Red Lentil Stew

This easy Red Lentil Stew recipe is the perfect weeknight dinner when you want something healthy, quick, and delicious. It's completely vegan, loaded with veggies, and comes together in under 30 minutes. Make Instant Pot Lentil Stew or cook it on your stove top, and serve with rice or pasta. Top with chili flakes if you want to bring the heat, or leave it as is for the kids.

Vegan Bolognese

A good plant-based bolognese sauce that’s packed with protein and has that all-day simmered flavour is one of my favourite things to have on hand in the freezer. All you need to do is boil some pasta, and dinner is done!

Tempeh Bolognese

This easy vegetarian bolognese sauce is made with crumbled tempeh, nutritional yeast, and flavourful spices. Done in under 30 minutes but with all-day flavour and packed with plant-based protein, this vegetarian pasta sauce is the perfect quick and healthy weeknight dinner.

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese is a healthier riff on the classic. It’s easy to make, delicious, and freezer-friendly too.

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

This Pumpkin Mac and Cheese is an easy, healthy baked pasta dish that's perfect for a weeknight dinner! Lighter than your average mac and cheese thanks to the addition of pumpkin, it's a vegetarian meal the whole family will love.

Lentil Shepherd’s Pie

Not only does is this Lentil Shepherd’s Pie completely vegan, but you can make the filling in your Instant Pot or slow cooker. And the best part? You can freeze it too!

Lentil Shepherd's Pie

Lentil Shepherd's Pie! This vegan shepherd's pie recipe is easy to make in your Instant Pot, slow cooker, or on the stove top. Simply top with mashed potatoes for a healthy gluten-free vegetarian dinner!

Vegan Lentil Soup

A hearty lentil soup can be a lifesaver when it comes to freezer meals. This Vegan Lentil Soup is one of my favourites, but be sure to check out all of our Soup Recipes in the index!

Vegan Lentil Soup

This healthy Vegan Lentil Soup Recipe can be made in the Instant Pot or on the stove top. Made with black beluga lentils, loads of vegetables, and plenty of kale or spinach, it's the best way to fill up on a cold night.

Spelt Pizza Dough

There’s nothing easier to eat one handed than a slice of pizza, ammiright?! I make a double batch of this Spelt Pizza Dough and freeze par-cooked bases, which makes pizza night a cinch. No fussing with handling sticky dough come dinner time, and it’s so easy you could make your pizza while wearing your baby.

Spelt Pizza Dough

Learn how to make Spelt Pizza Dough from scratch! Homemade pizza is easy to make with just a few simple ingredients like wholegrain flour, yeast, water, and salt. I'll also show you how to batch cook and freeze your pizza bottoms to make pizza night a breeze!

Freezer Snacks

You guys, if you’re making freezer meals for new moms, the snacks are where it’s at! Make a new mom a batch of muffins / cookies / bars to throw in the freezer and she will love you for life.

I had no idea how hungry I was going to be in those early days of breastfeeding, and out of nowhere I’d be so famished I’d be shaking and would need something Right. Now. This time I’ve been sure to stash away a few batches of muffins and bars for precisely those times. Here are some of my favourites:

Savory Cottage Cheese Muffins

Savory Cottage Cheese Muffins are one of my favourites for an afternoon snack or breakfast. Made with chickpea flour, ground almonds, cheese, and broccoli, these gluten-free muffins are sure to keep you satisfied. Freezer-friendly and perfect for meal prep.

These Chocolate Energy Bites are naturally sweetened with dates for a healthy snack. They've got lots of protein and healthy fats thanks to almonds, use only 4 ingredients (plus spices), and are incredibly easy to make!

No Sugar Banana Bran Muffins! These refined sugar free banana muffins are sweetened with nothing but bananas and dates. Made with whole wheat flour, oats, lots of bran, and studded with walnuts and banana chunks, these healthy bran muffins make a great breakfast, snack, or lunchbox treat.

If you're looking for a great carrot muffin recipe, this is the one! These Carrot Pineapple Muffins are easy, healthy wholegrain muffins that are perfect for breakfast or snacks. Or, slap a little cream cheese frosting on them and you've got healthy carrot cake muffins!

This Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Loaf features an unusual ingredient: quinoa! Deeply chocolately, super moist and delicious, and tipping over to the healthy side of things, I know you'll love this loaf as much as I do.

Comments

Love these! I’m not expecting, and neither are any of my friends just now, but these will be great for preparing some make-ahead vegetarian meals. Thanks for the inspiration (and the gorgeous food porn)!